Here a simple recipe for making chicken and broccoli bake. Packed full of vitamins its a great dish for the whole family to enjoy.

Ingredients

1 tablespoon of vegetable oil

4 medium chicken fillets, chopped

1 medium onion

450g / 1lb of broccoli florets

1 tin of chicken or mushroom soup

1 ½ dessertspoons of curry powder

150ml semi-skimmed milk

50g Breadcrumbs

50g Cheddar cheese, grated

Method Of Cooking It

First thing I do is to pre-heat the oven to 220°C /Gas Mark 7

Then I heat the oil in the saucepan,chop the onion and fry for around 2 to 3 minutes

Next I add the chicken pieces to the saucepan and cook for around 10 minutes.

While the chicken is cooking I would place the broccoli in a saucepan of water and boil for around 10 minutes.

I then would mix the milk, chicken soup and curry powder together in a jug

When the chicken pieces are cooked I would place them with the onion and broccoli into the casserole dish.

Next I would pour the soup mixture over the chicken,onions and broccoli then season with salt and pepper to taste.

The last thing I do is to cover the top of the mixture with the breadcrumbs and grated cheese.I love this part and the kids and I always end up nibbling on the grated cheese before it reaches the dish.

Finally I cook it in the oven for around 30 minutes or until the cheese starts to crisp up.

With all the children including my own daughter starting back to school it can be a very emotional time especially for those parents who are sending their child/children into school for the first time so I came across this beautifully written letter that i would like to share so that it may bring comfort to those parents who may be feeling nervous and anxious about there children starting school.

Dear Teacher,

I know you’re rather busy, first day back, there’s just no time, a whole new class of little ones and this one here is mine.

I’m sure you have things covered and have done this lots before, but my boy is very little, he hasn’t long turned four.

In his uniform this morning, he looked so tall and steady, but now beside your great big school I’m not quite sure he’s ready.

Do you help them eat their lunch? Are you quick to soothe their fears? And if he falls and hurts his knee will someone dry his tears?

And what if no-one plays with him? What if someone’s mean? What if two kids have a fight and he’s caught in between?

You’re right, I have to leave now it’s time for him to go I’m sure he’ll learn so much from you, things that I don’t know.

Yes, I’m sure they settle quickly, that he’s fine now without me, I know he has to go to school, it’s just so fast.

You see, it seems like just a blink ago I first held him in my arms, it’s been my job to love, to teach, to keep him safe from harm.

So, when I wave goodbye in a moment and he turns to walk inside, forgive me if I crumple into tears of loss and pride.

I know as I give him one more kiss and watch him walk away, that he’ll never again be wholly mine as he was before today.
Are you blubbing yet? If not, the teacher’s reply should definitely set you off…

THE REPLY:

Dear Parent,

I understand that you are scared to wave your child goodbye and leave him in a teacher’s hands – don’t worry if you cry!

I’m used to weeping parents, it’s hard to leave I know. But it’s time to share him (just a bit) to help him learn and grow.

My little man had to go into hospital a few months ago for a little operation, we knew it was coming at some point but when we got the phone call at the start of the week saying to come in it had made my heart sink. I guess you could say it was a bit of a shock as it had been put to the back of my mind for a while from when we were told back before Christmas that he need it. It was a simple operation to his testicles as one side hadn’t dropped. So here’s my brief story on how it went at the hospital.

The day before he was due to go in I can honestly say both myself and hubby were very anxious about it all. I packed a bag for him with his pjs,nappies,wipes,change of clothes ,his blanket and his favourite soft toy so that we were ready for the morning. That night I didn’t really sleep well with feeling nervous about it all and wondering what was going to happen.

I was up at 6am getting everything ready to head up to the hospital and sorting my daughter out ready for school. I had organised her to go to her granddads house while we were at the hospital. Our little man was allowed a small breakfast early but wasn’t allowed food from 8am and no water after 11am as the operation would be around 2pm.

We had arrived at the hospital around 1pm and got checked in and shown to cot on the ward they had for him. The moment i seen the little cot i burst into tears. (Was so embarrassed that i did cause i didn’t know were that came from) 30 minutes later the doctor came out to explain everything that was going to happen and what they were going to do. They said they wanted one parent to come into theatre to hold him while they give him the mask to be put to sleep.Well both my hubby and I knew it was going to be him, i just couldn’t picture myself holding him crying and fighting while they were putting the mask on him, it would probably make me falls to bits. So my hubby and I walked down to theatre and it was there i had to kiss him goodbye before his daddy took him into the theatre which totally broke my heart. I kissed him and walked away then stood against a wall with tears streaming down my face.

When hubby came out I could see he was tearing up to so we went for a walk around the hospital grounds even though it was raining. We both just couldn’t settle until we knew he was ok. Its amazing how much things like this makes us realise just how much we love our children, even though this was a routine operation and we knew he would be fine somehow it was really upsetting for us. I even found it strange watching hubby get emotional because its a side of him i never see.

After an hour had past a nurse came and told us he was out of theatre and having a nap and that everything went well. So we got to go to the recovery ward and sit with him while he was coming round. When he came round we were moved back to the ward and he was given some toast and juice which didn’t last long as he had it ate before any of the other bigger kids on the ward so he was definitely feeling a little better. Another hour past and we were allowed to take him home which was a great as it had been a long day.

The next day we had a nurse out to check his scars and to see how he was doing, this went on for a few days before he was completely discharged. We had to take extra special care when lifting him and changing his nappies so that we didn’t stretch the skin around his scars but maybe all that’s a story for another day.

I am just glad that its all over now and he recovered so well which makes me proud to be his mummy plus only one week after his operation he took his first steps so i was extra proud of him.

Two months ago I was sent a box of Spatone Apple Liquid Iron supplement to review from a company called Nelsons via the bizziebaby reviews site. In my personal life I would suffer from low iron from time to time so I was very excited to have the opportunity to try spatone apple.

My Initial impression of the product was that it was well presented and well packaged. The packaging itself is great as all the sachets come in a cardboard box which is great for storing in the cupboard and is also recyclable. The box is colourful and bright which makes it very appealing. The instructions were straight forward, to the point and very easy to follow.Each sachet contains the liquid iron and can be drunk straight out of the sachet although I preferred to pour it in a glass and drink it as I found it much easier to take this way and less chance of spilling it everywhere but handy for posing in your bag if your in a rush.

In my opinion the product itself is good quality and completely fit for its purpose and is reasonably priced for what it is especially considering that you get a month’s supply in one box. I had tried a liquid iron supplement in the past and I have to admit that this one with apple flavouring definitely makes a difference to the taste. I have been using Spatone liquid now for the past month and I will be continuing to buy for myself as it has worked really well for me as an iron supplement and I personally prefer it over the tablet versions as this is so easy to take,especially since I am a mum on the go its good to know I am getting the iron and vitamin C that I need and lets not forget the nice apple taste it has to it that makes it easier to drink and doesn’t leave you with that awful after-taste that some other supplements might do.

This product can be used during pregnancy and for children over 2.The apple flavouring may also make it easier to get your children to drink it and they may just think its apple juice when really they are getting there iron supplement. It’s also a lot kinder on your stomach than some other tablet supplements may be. The Spatone liquid iron with apple flavouring also includes 100% of your recommend vitamin C which is a plus as personally sometimes I feel we don’t get enough of the vitamins in our bodies that we need.

Overall I highly recommend Spatone with apple and will definitely be going to purchase some more for myself.

If you are interested in buying some for yourself you can pick these up in places such as Boots,Tesco,Asda and many other health care stores.

Last month we decided to plant some strawberries and so far they seem to be doing really well. We successfully grew our own strawberries last year and are hoping the same this year so I thought I would share a few hints and tip on growing your own strawberries.

Dont Over Water– water logging can cause the fruits to become diseased and the plant to rot. Although water is important for the fruits to grow its important to not add too much. I found that one out the hard way a few years back when my daughter got a bit to excited with the amounts of water she was putting in the pots everyday and unfortunately it killed of the plants.

Spacing – Strawberry plants will spread out about 2 ft in every direction. Small containers will only need 1 or 2 plants.

Good Drainage– As with all plants its important that the pots you are using have holes at the bottom for drainage so that the plant doesn’t get water logged.

Place A Net on Top – Placing a net over the top of the plants can prevent birds and other animals from eating the fruit.

Plant In Summer – The best time to put your strawberry plants out doors is from June until early September. After this its best to remove the flower heads so that you have a healthy plant next year.

Keep The Plants in Sunlight -Strawberries require around 6-10 hours a day of direct sunlight, so choose somewhere that the sunlight hits your plants.

Pick Out the Ripe Strawberries – Picking out any ripe strawberries can prevent your plant from rotting. Check the plants every other day during the ripening period.

There you have it a few of our tips and ideas on growing your own strawberries.Please feel free to share any of your own tips in the comments section.

Happy Gardening.

Wow where has the time gone? Seems like yesterday I was taking you home from the hospital and now your 18 Months Old. You really make your mummy and daddy proud.

Here is your 18 Month Update

You got your first walking shoes fitted at clarks and you loved all the attention from the staff there.

This month you had your very first dentist visit and your teeth are all perfect, you even got a little sticker just like your big sister.

You had a little operation this month too and it broke are hearts that you had to have it done but you did so well and bounced back fast and for that we are so proud of you.

Everyday you and your sister are getting closer and closer and i love watching you two play together sometimes.

You were a little naughty and drew on the wallpaper in our hallway with one of your sisters crayons. I totally didn’t expect that until you were older, ha ha but slightly cute as you just looked up and smiled so it was hard to be mad at you.

You are now weighing 24lbs exactly and have started wearing some age 2 clothes.

With the warmer weather coming in and summer fast approaching I thought I would share a few tips on safe barbecuing your food as food poisoning almost doubles during the summer months, and the most common cause for this is the undercooking of raw meat and the contamination of bacteria onto the food that we eat. So following a few simple steps can help keep us safe during the BBQ season.

To Avoid cross-contaminationit is best to store raw meat separately before cooking. It is also a good idea to wash your chopping boards after each different meat or take another board. Always remember to wash your hands thoroughly with soap and hot water and dry them before handling your food for the barbecue and after handling raw foods including meat,fish, eggs and vegetables to avoid cross-contamination.

Disposable BBQs take longerto heat up and to cook food. So its important to always check that your meat is cooked right through before serving.

Don’t wash raw chicken or other meat, it just splashes germs. Cooking will kill any bacteria present, including campylobacter. Also washing chicken, or other meats could spread dangerous bugs on to your hands, utensils and worktops by splashing water.

Pre-cook, it’s always a good idea to cook all chicken in the oven before giving it that finish on your barbecue for that special taste. This way can also be used for your sausages, burgers and kebabs to avoid undercooking.

Charred doesn’t mean cooked,cook your barbecue food thoroughly until you are sure that it is steaming hot and with no pink meat inside. Turning meat regularly and moving it around the barbecue will help to cook it evenly. Charred on the outside doesn’t always necessarily mean cooked on the inside so, it’s always safer to cut open and check your food before serving it.